Don’t Become the Old Woman that Lived in the Shoe!

There was an old woman who lived in a shoe,

She had so many kids she didn’t know what to do…

Make sure you can handle the plants you put in your Outdoor Living Spaces and flower beds!  This probably goes without saying, but I see common sense lost in many yards.

One big problem is not so much planting too many plants, but putting invasive plants in the wrong spot.  Before you know it you have little purple flowers (Grape Hyacinth) in your lawn and grape vine (Virginia Creeper) burying your perennials.  You really need to know about the plants you are putting in your yard.

Also, understand the difference between the maintenance requirements of different trees, shrubs, perennials and annuals in general. 

Trees require little time, but you do need to make sure you get them on a routine plan to develop the structure and keep them clean and healthy.

Shrubs are similar to trees, but require a little more attention if they flower.  If you want them to continue looking nice and flowering year after year, you have to deadhead the shrubs after they bloom.

Perennials require deadheading after they bloom and also a lot of fall or spring cleaning to cut back the dead.  Most perennials are not woody and will die back almost to the ground.

Annuals require deadheading to keep them looking nice.  There are also spring and summer annuals which means that they have to be pulled out and replaced twice each year.  Annuals don’t get the chance to get as established as the other plants which means that weeds will pop up in between the flowers, so annuals will require more weeding that other plantings over time.

Along the lines of weeds, all plantings will require weeding at first to some degree.  A good four inch mulch will reduce the amount of time you will spend weeding, but there will be some weeding.  Over time, perennials and shrubs planted a proper distance from each other will choke out a healthy majority of the weeds and reduce your time requirement.

Reduce the amount of time you spend in your garden by understanding the plants you pick, and pairing your time available to work in your garden with the proper plants.  Remember that the amount of time required for pruning and weeding will depend largely on the plants you select.  So conserve your time and do a little research before visiting the nursery!

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